Bob Gibson, owner of G's Beverage Mart on Central Avenue, stands behind the counter at his newest venture. He also owns a recycling and redemption center and a property management firm in Schenectady.

Bob Gibson works beverages–from purchase to redemption. At his new business, G’s Beverage Mart, his third in the Capital Region, one can buy a coke on one side of the store, and redeem it for 5 cents on the other side.

In an age where many people do curbside recycling or drop their cans and bottles in automated machines, this business of redemption leaves more than a few people confused.

“I’ve had people ask me, ‘What church are you affiliated with?’ And I say, ‘No, we’re a redemption center for bottles and cans,’” Gibson says.

The new store was opened two weeks ago with little fanfare, but already, Gibson is making in-roads with local bars and restaurants, whose distributors are too busy to pick up recyclables when they deliver beverages. Add that to the walk-in traffic Gibson hopes to attract (he’s mounted speakers to play vinyl and cassettes from a second-hand stereo) to the clean, freshly painted 2,7000 square foot Central Avenue storefront, formerly a beauty parlor, and you have a solid footing in the Albany redemption scene.

Gibson’s sister business on State Street in Schenectady, the Schenectady Recycling and Redemption Center, does 60,000 units a week–all sorted by hand–and Gibson hopes this business will match it, he says.

Wanita’s Adoption Agency, the last line on Gibson’s sandwich board sign out front, is a puzzlement, until Gibson points to the wall of pigs at the back of the store. The “adoption agency” was established in honor of his friend Wanita Rulison who passed away two years ago from pancreatic cancer. The glass and ceramic “piggies” were her “babies” and when it came time to distribute her belongings there was no place for them, so Gibson and Rulison’s wife decided to set up the adoption agency and donate the use the funds raised to establish a humanities scholarship fund for an Albany high schooler, he says. Each pig comes with an authentic looking adoption certificate, produced by Gibson’s niece, and the adoptees are entered into a log for annual gatherings.

“This summer we’re going to do a family reunion for Wanita’s adoption agency,” Gibson explains. They’ll host a picnic or BBQ in the park, he says. He’s careful to add that there will be vegetarian options.

Stay tuned for Gibson’s soon-to-be opened bicycle rental business, Cruisin’. It will operate from the same location. (Gibson got the idea from the bike rack out front, and he’s already accumulated 15 bikes to let for a fee to the casual outdoorsmen.)